classification of Chinese musical instruments

The Chinese talent for musical organization was by no means limited to pitches. Another important ancient system called the
eight sounds (
ba yin) was used to classify the many kinds of instruments played in imperial orchestras. This system was based upon the material used in the construction of the instruments, the eight being stone, earth (pottery),...

sizhu

...Chinese chamber music ensembles made up of stringed and wind instruments. Silk (strings) and bamboo (winds) were two of the materials of the
bayin (“
eight sounds”) classification system established during the Xi (Western) Zhou dynasty (1046–771
bc); the others were metal, stone, earth, skin, wood, and gourd.

xun

The
xun usually functioned as a member of the ritual orchestra; it represented the earth group in the
bayin (“
eight sounds”) classification. The instrument had fallen into disuse by the beginning of the 20th century but was revived in the last decades of the century. Modern ...